Video: The Five Precepts of Matthew 4:4

What did the Lord Jesus Christ teach about Scripture? What example did he set for us to follow, with regard to a proper attitude toward Scripture?

(In addition to the verses discussed in this video, also study 1Peter 1:23-25; 2Peter 1:19-21; and in understanding how to live by every word one must study and rightly divide it: 2Ti 2:15.)

Outline Follows:

Christ Tempted of the Devil

Matthew 4:1-11

Christ’s Teachings on Scripture

Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

A reference to Deuteronomy 8:3

Five Precepts:

The Ultimate Authority of Scripture

The Divine Inspiration of Scripture

The Preservation of Scripture

The Accessibility of Scripture

The Relevance of Scripture

1. The Ultimate Authority of Scripture.

Man shall live by every word.

–“But by” = shall live by.

Live By God’s Word

–Your Life Authority

–Nothing higher

Psalm 138:2; cf. Nehemiah 9:5

2. The Divine Inspiration of Scripture.

The words come from God.

They are literal, verbal things.

–MOUTH→WORDS

–NOT “Mind→Message”

MOUTH→WORDS→WRITTEN

Jesus says “It is written.”

Exodus 20:1 And God spake all these words…

Exodus 24:7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath saidwill we do, and be obedient.

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness

Scripture is given by inspiration of God

Original literal sense of the English word inspiration: “The action of blowing on or into.” (Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition)

“proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4)

GOD’S WORDS = SPIRIT

–John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

–John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

The spiritual nature of God’s words cannot be separated from the literal, verbal nature of those words.

3. The Preservation of Scripture

“It is written”

–Present Tense (not “was written.”)

What is “It?”

–Deuteronomy 8:3

–1,500 year-old text spoken by God, written by Moses, copied and copied, available to the Hebrews in the first century.

–Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure…

Psalm 12:6-7 KJV The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

Thank you dear brother for the word on the LXX. I have heard of the idea of the men of the New Testament quoting from that for many years. I have for all those years rejected that idea. However, this is the first time I have heard a plauibble explanation

Matthew 4:4 is indeed a pivotal verse and you did an excellent job in making that understandable.
I would love to know what Power Point Program you are using to build your video.
PS I was having problems with login with Facebook

Very good video lesson Brandon ! Good stuff put into a small length package. I have used/mentioned Matthew 4:4 many times over many years now to folks. Our Lord & Saviour used/trusted the O.T. and so should we! Thanks for the portion about the bogus status of the LXX. I have never bought into that idea — even though I was a huge fan of the NASV for 20 years… It made ZERO sense that the One who stilled the wind and waters on The Sea of Galilee would be so wanting for words that he would quote from a questionable greek document that has the non-canonical books that Jews did NOT read or heed … Jesus was JEWISH , and had no reason to quote from an inferior document written in a foreign language. — ( Luke 4:16-21.) { Btw – you are correct about the “Red-letter” types of people — met one in the store I used to be the Asst. Manager at. He wanted to buy a “Bible” that had only the Red-letters … “‘cuzz thattz tha words of Jeeesus , ann thatzz awlll I wanna reeed.” I and another customer ( who was a Deacon/Teacher at a Church in my town ) tried to talk some sense into the man , but he would not listen to us.

Thanks for that, Brandon. Very helpful, and with some interesting points of detail. You have a teaching gift, and may you be blessed in your use of such a valuable gift. Yes, the LXX does need someone to give some hard evidence why many modern scholars are deceived on this question.

Outstanding even in my own small way, I knew that the kjv was and is the perfect bible. Trying to find a church that traces and preaches from the kjv has been a tough search. But we found one and we love it. To hear the pure word, as for me, there’s only one version, and that’s the king James version. Great teaching, proving that the kjv is the only version. God bless you.

I appreciate and commend your view on the written Word of God which I also believe. Nevertheless, I must ask: How is it possible for His word to be magnified “above” His very own Name as it is widely taught? This appears to be an impossibility. Here is what I propose: The preposition “above” in the Hebrew text may also be translated “according to” which is actually consistent with the internal context of Psalm 138:2.. Thus: “…for thou hast magnified thy word according to all thy name.”

Which verses? Re-translated? I guess I should’ve expected this misconstruction (and ignoring) of what I really wrote. Obviously your “authority” is not the Hebrew and Greek texts from where the KJV was translated!!! Now I know for sure that your “authority” are the KJV translators…and the English text is the inspired Word of God (which was given to men over 1600 years after His original, inspired revelation)!!!. WOW !!! I am done!

And, yet still, you have not shown anyone what your authority is. You present a private translation of a verse because you can’t make it fit into your ideas about what God should really have said and then talk of authority. Exactly where can I get what you believe to be the perfect, inerrant, complete, infallible Bible? You have none, and in your arrogance you presume that you can provide a better translation than what has stood for 400 years because it “seems” impossible to you that God magnified his word above his name. Your mind is your final authority.

I appreciate your stand for the Word of God. I have prayed earnestly for Christians to know and understand about the Bible versions prevalent today. My heart is so burdened for friends who think the KJV is irrelevant in today’s language (when the Lord has shown me that it is perfect, converting the soul). My husband and I have shared two of your videos with our youth group-this video and the one about “thee, thou, and thy” vs. “ye and you” in the Bible. It is excellent in explaining the reason we need singular and plural word distinctions in the scriptures. It is good how you share the truth with authority and yet in a loving, respectful way. God bless you and in this work of defending the Word.

Hi Brandon,
Thanks for your video. I have been intrigued by Matt 4:4 and your particular presentation of it. I still have some questions.
1. Matt 4:4, as you noted, is Jesus refuting a temptation presented by Satan to go outside God’s revealed will for his provisions. It appears God has forsaken Jesus but he knows that he is the Messiah God promised, so shouldn’t Jesus take it upon himself to keep this thing going (Like Abraham fathering Ishmael to make God’s promise come true)? As God tempted Israel in the wilderness to see if they would believe that God is the true source of their provision and that he would keep his promise to them to lead them into the promised land despite their circumstances, so also Jesus was being tempted as to if he would trust that God would keep his promise to save his people though Jesus(the messiah) despite the current circumstances. The focus is on believing the promise God gave and not trying to make it happen in our own strength but relying on God trusting he will bring it to pass. This is not about God’s people need every word of scripture available to them at all times. The scripture tells us there was a time when the scriptures were hidden and latter found. Your point of us being required to have every word because we must live by every word is not in keeping with the whole testimony of scripture. Could not the phrase that man shall live “by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” refer to their believing the ‘certainty’ of every word God promised? This seems to be what is in view in the Deuteronomy context and it seems that this is how Jesus is using it to deflect the temptation of Satan.
How then do you make this to refer to written scripture and it’s preservation given the context of Deut 8 and Matt 4?

2. Ps 12:6-7 is of the same concern. The whole psalm is about God’s preserving of the righteous in the midst of the wicked who are in power, or God keeping his promise to preserve the righteous though the situation looks like that’s not going to happen. v.1-2 the situation, V.3-4 is the complaint, V.5 God’s response and promise. V.6 the rejoicing in God’s promise because… he keep his words(the promise) v. 7 which includes keeping them(his people v.5) who have faith in God despite the situation is still in process of working out v.8
Again, how can you make this apply to written scripture and it’s preservation given the context?

I am so happy to see someone break down Scripture this way. I haven’t been able to understand a lot what I read and have begun to know what the T and Y mean. Now I understand how those read. I am also pleased of the outline and further text to back up what you say. I THANK GOD for you and the videos you utilize to help us with King James Bible also. TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY!!